Study in Taiwan

Holidays! Taiwanese people celebrate traditional holidays in a multitude of fascinating ways.

During Lantern Festival, children go out at night carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles on lanterns. Lantern Festival is also called Yuan Xiao Jie, and locals eat glutinous rice balls named after the festival.

Chinese New Year is one of the most important festivals for Chinese people of all ages. Family reunions are held and relatives gather together to have dinner. Dishes with symbolic meanings are prepared and after the reunion dinner, adults or elders usually distribute red envelopes to children. Firecrackers are also popular, as children and adults set them off outside to celebrate.

KTV! Young people in Taiwan not only parties but they go to karaoke, or KTV, with friends very often. KTV is a place where you can sing, eat, drink and chat with your friends - the best way to kill time!

Convenience stores! In Taiwan there are convenience stores on every corner and every block (7-11 and FamilyMart are the most common and the most popular). They offer everything you can imagine and, most importantly, they're open 24/7. So don't worry about any midnight cravings, just go to the nearest convenience store!

Hospitality -  One thing you'll notice is the importance of politeness in Taiwanese culture. Foreign visitors to Taiwan are usually impressed by the friendly, easygoing and enthusiastic Taiwanese. Taiwanese kindness and friendliness is well-known in the international community - whenever foreigners need help or directions, Taiwanese people always do their best to help them.

Colorful cultures - After undergoing multiple shifts in sovereignty over the centuries, Taiwan's cultural heritage is uniquely diverse. It contains one of the world’s highest densities of religious and ornate structures. These include Taoist and Buddhist temples such as the well-known Longshan Temple, one of the largest and oldest temples in Taiwan.

As an important producer of teas, especially oolong tea, Taiwan boasts its own representative tea culture as well.

Traditional arts - Traditional artwork can be found in countless alleys and lanes and even on some structures in Taiwan. Glove puppetry has been one of Taiwan’s treasured performing arts for more than 200 years, and it is usually performed on nearly every festive occasion. There are also many other traditional arts that are worth seeing in Taiwan.

Food - Taiwan is also famous for its night markets - both small to large night markets can be found in urban or suburban areas of every city. Night markets allow you to fully immerse yourself in local culture, as well as providing you with the chance to try some unusual delicacies and local snacks. Shihlin Night Market is one of the largest and most famous night markets in Taiwan; it’s always packed with people, foreigners in particular. People indulge in food, play games and shop, offering the best way to experience authentic local customs and cultures.

There are several types of visas, and students who aim to study in Taiwan usually have to apply for student visitor visas in their own country first.

What’s the difference between a “student visitor visa” and a “visitor visa”? Both are actually Visitor Visas; however, the only difference is that Student Visitor Visa has the two letters “FR” printed in the remarks field on the visa in your passport.

Besides, if you aim to study in Taiwan for more than 6 months, the Student Visitor Visa is the stepping stone on the way to obtaining your Resident Visa and Alien Resident Card.

The student visa allows students to stay in Taiwan for up to 180 days under the condition of remaining enrolled in school. However, if you intend to stay more than 180 days in Taiwan, you should apply for a resident visa and an Alien Resident Card (ARC).

What’s more, as long as you’ve learned Mandarin for one year and obtained both a resident visa and an Alien Resident Card, you can get the permission to work a part-time job.

Healthcare in Taiwan is affordable, fast and convenient. International students with an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) who have resided in Taiwan for 4 months must enroll in the National Health Insurance (NHI) program. Students can purchase their own insurance or participate in a temporary health insurance program offered by their school. Once registered with the National Health Insurance, you will only have to pay 30% of the total medical bill. Students who enroll in the NHI program should apply for the NHI card, allowing them to receive low-cost and high quality healthcare.

However, if you are studying in Taiwan for just a semester, you will not be eligible for the National Health Insurance program. You will have to have your own private international student health insurance in Taiwan.

Taiwan’s higher education system mixes the best of the Chinese and American educational systems; bachelor programs in Taiwan train students to focus on essential knowledge and skills they will use in their careers.

According to the 2015 QS World University Rankings, nine universities in Taiwan are ranked among the top 400 in the world - National Taiwan University is even ranked in the top 100.

We know that studying abroad can be very expensive and not affordable for everyone unless you get a scholarship. However government policies in Taiwan ensure international students don’t have to pay high overseas tuition fees, unlike many other international universities and colleges.

In Taiwan, tuition fees vary by universities and by subject, and private universities usually charge higher fees than public ones. For example, international tuition fees in National Taiwan University for the 2015-2016 academic year are US$1,700-2,100 per semester for undergraduates and US$1,750-2,125 per semester for most graduate programs.

In order to encourage international students to learn Chinese and pursue higher education, the Taiwanese government provides many kinds of scholaships. The Ministry of Education (MOE) in Taiwan also offers a large number of scholarships annually for international students who want to study in Taiwan. For instance, students who apply for Huayu Enrichment Scholarship can receive a stipend of NT$25,000 per month.

If you are interested in applying for scholarship in Taiwan, check out these government websites for more details: Taiwan Study Scholarship  or How to get a scholarship to study in Taiwan.